The 76ers lost to the Lakers in the Finals last season. This season, Wei Guo joined the team and led them all the way to the Finals, where they met the Lakers again.

It seems like fate...

Besides Moses Malone, there were also many active or retired players sitting on the sidelines watching the game.

certainly...

Bill Russell will be there, as he will be presenting the championship trophy.

........

The match is about to begin, and the players are adjusting their clothes as they walk onto the field.

The two shook hands...

James sat on the sidelines, cupping his hands to his mouth, and said, "Go, bro!"

"Keep it up, Master!"

Curry also cheered loudly for Weiguo.

Then...

Curry and James exchanged a smile.

Iverson and Jones stood together, chatting casually: "Wei Guo seems to think highly of these two lads."

Yeah~

Jones nodded. "I've watched James' game videos. When he was sixteen or seventeen, he showed physical talent that surpassed many professional players."

"That's enough chatting, time to prepare for the match."

Iverson's face suddenly darkened.

........

Wei Guo and O'Neal jump for the ball.

"Beep!!!"

The match began with the referee's whistle.

Jones got the ball, dribbled it to the frontcourt, and then passed it to Iverson, who drove to the basket for a layup.

"Smack!"

Although Iverson's release point was high, O'Neal still managed to flick the ball with his fingertips.

Mutombo gets the basketball.

"Pay attention to Wei Guo's position!"

Kobe shouted something, signaling Fox to stick close to Weiguo.

This reminded Mutombo... Mutombo immediately passed the ball to Weiguo, who jumped high in the corner of the three-point line to catch the ball.

Fox spreads its long arms!

After landing, Wei Guo dribbled from the baseline to the top of the arc, constantly observing Fox's center of gravity, and then made a sudden stop and change of direction to get past Fox.

He raises the basketball overhead with one hand and takes a three-step layup.

Raise your hand and set the sky ablaze!

Wei Guo took three steps to the basket and slammed a one-handed dunk over O'Neal.

"Bang!!!"

The basketball hoop wobbled again.

........

Barkley and Johnson were providing commentary on the game.

Barkley: "Wow~ That was a fantastic dunk!"

Johnson said, "Fox has to guard against Weiguo's first step. Once Weiguo is breached, no one can stop him."

Barkley: "Western legend is the best big man in history at dribbling!"

Johnson said, "I've said it before: the 76ers need to increase the time Wei Guo has the ball; that's the best rhythm."

........

The Lakers are on offense, and O'Neal is double-teamed by Wei Guo and Mutombo while holding the ball.

Horry stood outside the three-point line.

O'Neal held the basketball high and tossed it to Horry.

Open three-pointer!

O'Neal yelled, "What are you hesitating for? Shoot!"

"Let him throw!"

Wei Guo also said, "He didn't shoot!"

This statement... is not very hurtful, but extremely insulting.

"bang~~~"

Horry's three-pointer missed.

Wei Guo grabbed the defensive rebound and said to his teammates, "Just let Horry shoot. He only averages 6 points per game and doesn't pose any threat to us."

This sentence...

What seemed like a message to his teammates actually went straight into Horry's ears.

......

"I won't listen... I won't listen... I won't listen..."

Covering his ears and shaking his head vigorously is probably what Horry wants to do most right now.

........

Back at home, the 76ers took control of the game from the start.

The first quarter lasted 7 minutes.

21:13!!

The Lakers only scored 13 points.

In other words...

The Lakers only score once every three possessions, which is a very low scoring efficiency.

Horry was completely out of sorts!

He also got many open shots, but Horry couldn't attack the basket because the 76ers had Wei Guo and Mutombo under the basket. When shooting from the outside, Horry just couldn't find his shooting touch.

1 out of 7 shots made!

Horry only scored two points, including the one basket he made.

Horry didn't dare to challenge Wei Guo...

Phil Jackson's triangle offense, with O'Neal, Kobe, and Fisher on the strong side and Horry and Fox running on the weak side, requires a strong finisher.

With the Bulls...

This tactic was very successful, thanks to Jordan.

On the Lakers, the only strong players are the OK duo, and O'Neal is the team leader, even though Wei Guo and Mutombo limit O'Neal's performance.

These two still have many incompatibilities.

actually...

This situation also occurred with Iverson and Weiguo, except that Iverson and Weiguo had a good relationship, and Weiguo would adjust his position according to the team's needs, which greatly reduced this incompatibility.

........

The Zen master called for a pause.

He went on to emphasize that Kobe should be the finisher on offense as much as possible.

Kobe has had some good performances in these games.

In particular, in the Lakers' third game, Kobe scored a game-high 53 points, leading the team to victory.

But...

Despite Kobe's exceptional performance, the 76ers' defensive focus remained on O'Neal.

........

During the timeout, Wei Guo squeezed in between Curry and James to sit down.

With two arms draped over their shoulders, he said, "You should really soak in this atmosphere; it will be a great help to your growth."

"master..."

Curry looked at Wei Guo with his big, watery eyes and asked, "Can I become a player as good as you?"

"sure!"

Wei Guo gave Curry his approval.

A word of encouragement can warm your heart for a week, while a sarcastic remark can wound you for a lifetime.

Curry and James are still kids. Even if they are exceptionally talented, they need encouragement... This is different from Horry. Horry has grown up and has even learned to use his foot to his advantage, so Wei Guo constantly mocks Horry on the court.

......

The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.

Wei Guo did not rest...

He wants to play the full 48 minutes because winning this game will allow Wei Guo to rest for several months.

Lakers on offense.

Beyond the three-point line...

Facing Iverson's defense, Kobe Bryant made a series of crossovers before launching a three-pointer.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went through the net cleanly.

21:17!!

Iverson was not to be outdone, and after getting past Kobe, he pulled up for a jump shot.

That works too!!!

23:17!!

Wei Guo keenly noticed the Lakers' tactical change and immediately assigned Mutombo to guard Fox.

In that case...

Harprin could then move to the three-point line to help defend, thus limiting Kobe's performance.

Kobe with the ball...

After jumping, he slammed the ball into O'Neal's hands. O'Neal spun around over Wei Guo, took a step back, and hooked the ball in.

"bang~~~"

The ball hit the front edge of the rim.

Wei Guo didn't even need to jump; he simply reached out and grabbed the defensive rebound.